Linksys Group Inc.

Linksys Group offers a vast and potentially bewildering array of broadband routers. We reviewed five in the Etherfast product line, including two with individual features that set each one apart from the other products in our roundup: a combo USB/Ethernet gateway and a voice-enabled gateway.

All of the Linksys products we tested are housed in stackable black and blue plastic cases, which include rear-panel connections and an array of status LEDs on the front. Every Etherfast router we reviewed comes with an excellent, quick-start guide and a CD-ROM with a more detailed manual and a video with step-by-step instructions. Linksys's browser-based user interface ranks second in our roundup (edged out by the D-Link products).

The Linksys Etherfast BEFSR41 is the company's basic, NAT-based Internet gateway. It includes a four-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. Configuration takes only a few minutes, thanks to the unit's browser interface. This model also has a unique feature thatwhen enabledrequires all of your LAN PCs to have both Trend Micro's PC-cillin and ZoneLabs' ZoneAlarm Pro installed before it will allow access to the Internet. This approach ensures that your PCs are better protected against hacker attacks, viruses, and spyware programs. Many users, however, may find this technique rather restrictive. Linksys includes a 30-day trial version of ZoneAlarm with its Etherfast routers; users must either purchase a full license or disable the feature after 30 days.

The Linksys Etherfast BEFVP41 is similar to the BEFSR41 but includes a 70-tunnel VPN server. This product is an outstanding value for telecommuters and small companies that need a secure connection to an office or home LAN from the road or work. Linksys has also done a fine job of simplifying setup and installation with its included instructions. (For more on VPN technology, see our feature story "Safe Passage," September 25, 2001.)

Next up in the Linksys product line is the Linksys Etherfast BEFSRU31. Though it has only three 10/100 Ethernet ports, a USB connection makes up the difference. The USB port can be used both to configure the router and to connect a PC to the LAN. This feature makes the installation of a network interface card unnecessary and is especially useful with laptops. This model's USB port, ease of installation and setup, and great performance on our routing tests earned it our Editors' Choice for the basic wired home router. Apart from the USB port, the BEFSRU31 is essentially identical to the BEFSR41.

The Linksys Etherfast BEFN2PS4 is similar to the two previously mentioned products but includes a Net2Phone phone connection. It has four 10/100 ports on the rear and a standard RJ-11 phone jack. You can make calls via a phone attached to the router; Net2Phone's network charges 3.9 cents a minute for domestic calls and has very competitive rates for international dialing. The router includes a 60-minute Net2Phone trial account, and we were pleasantly surprised at the audio quality of the calls. Net2Phone is a nice option for broadband users who make lots of overseas calls.

The final Linksys product in our roundup, the Linksys Etherfast BEFW11S4, is a wireless model that includes a two-antenna 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless access point. The unit we reviewed lacked the ZoneAlarm/PC-cillin feature, but Linksys says it plans to have added this feature into a firmware update by the time you read this.

Les has been a contributing editor at PC Magazine since 1994 and a frequent contributor since 1990. Before joining PC Magazine, Les was founder and CEO of Crosstalk Communications, developers of the popular Crosstalk data...

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